Training Log Archive: jtorranc

Recovered so time for the take-no-prisoners skiing unencumbered by friends. Started from same place (P7 Booth Field) but stayed on the less traveled singetrack about as much as possible. Meandered out to the intersection of Huron Road and Western, took Western to Chalet Fortune, crossed Lac Fortune to the parkway, started up Huron Road then followed someone else's ski tracks off trail along a series of beaver ponds and marshes to trail 12 near Shilly Shally, then meandered back south again on the smaller trails, passing by Lac Bourgeois. That will probably be my skiing for the year - hopefully it was enough to prevent my soul shrivelling up into a wizened husk.

Winterlude Triathlon, Ottawa - fitness test and a good excuse to visit home and friends and do some skiing in Gatineau Park - I'll presumably be in better shape than last year if I improve on 10th place.

Skating leg of Winterlude Triathlon - the field had jumped to about 450 from about 300 the previous year so the lead pack was much larger and much more chaotic than usual. Much like a short cycling road race in terms of drafting and tactics except in cycling you can apply power without worrying about your skate blade hitting that of people on either side of you and causing a fall. Two of which occurred right in front of me, one being a great teetering on the edge of balance thing that I had time to get out from behind before the conclusion. Officially 5th in the skate but that includes the transition to skiing and is pretty meaningless anyway since the top 10 or 15 must have, as usual, finished within about the same number of seconds.

Very well groomed ski course, slightly shortened from other years. Fast condtions helped minimise the impact of my continuously deteriorating skating technique but I still got passed by around 10 people, including the female winner of the last several years. 22nd overall on this leg.

5K, approximately 3 of it on ice with a bit of compacted snow on top of it. 2nd overall on this leg, overhauling enough runners to wind up 4th overall. It's very helpful being the only person wearing O shoes under these conditions, though I'm sure many others had jury-rigged metal studs. Satisfyingly 1:36 faster than last year, partly explicable by the far less Bataan Death March-like ski leg but John Westdal only improved his time by 0:46 over last year so I'm inclined to read meaning into it.

Very easy afternoon ski with friends on Ridge Road in Gatineau Park - the outing was longer than one hour but one person was out for the first time in years so it was very stop and go and pretty slow even when it was going. Lovely day if a trifle too warm.

Pre-breakfast mini-workout. Hopefully enough to convince my body to remain on a war footing despite the lack of other activity today.

Looks like another week in which I won't manage to squeeze in an interval workout. It's thoroughly depressing how easy I find that to do (the current excuse is wanting to be fresh for the triathlon on Saturday morning.

Commute plus dropping in on both of my usual food shopping venues since I'd let myself get desperately low on everything.

Home to Metro, Metro to work, Metro to Library of Congress to see "Black Caesar" (a little bit disjointed but the 70s Harlem setting and vibe was awesome) and the reverse of all of the above. They've stunningly managed to go even crazier with security around the Capitol since the last time I walked by - they've blocked off 1st Ave NE between the Hart Senate Office Building and its opposing number across the street with security checkpoints at both ends of the block and East Capitol Street south of the Supreme Court. Must suck to live near the consequent traffic tieups.

Warmup/cooldown jogging, bum kicks, A's, B's, 8x100m strides, bounding and 2x20 two-legged vertical leaps. Wondering whether it would be more accurate to assign these workouts intensity level 4 - I'll have to take my heart rate during one sometime.